Australia - Tassie in the firing line

TASMANIA is bracing for savage job losses in the wake of changes being hatched in the boardrooms of some of the nation's corporate giants.

Despite having the the worst unemployment rate in the country, Tasmanians are set to feel the axe more severely than other states.
The first threat comes from the rumoured takeover by the Commonwealth Bank of the Colonial Bank.

It was only four months ago that Colonial announced it was buying the Tasmanian-owned Trust Bank.

At the time it promised there would be no net job losses or branch closures.

Now the Finance Sector Union fears 400 jobs and 30 branches will vanish if the Commonwealth swallows Colonial.

The second threat to state jobs comes from Telstra which yesterday announced a record profit - but still plans to lose 16,000 jobs.

First in the firing line in Tasmania could be two of the call centres which were established as part of the much-publicised new-technology solution to state's jobless woes.

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Comment:
This is a short article saying volumes about our new world run by the global giants. Read it again (and between the lines) because it's coming to your town too. Think America. Here is the phenomenon of dislocation beginning in earnest. On 'Good Morning Australia' our deputy Prime Minister virtually threatened big business like Telstra to be very careful regarding the social responsibilities that comes with huge profits, much of it going off-shore. As for Tasmania? Well, more people will be leaving.

I table this article as a general awareness issue that is becoming the new social affairs topic for discussion. This issue is rolling and is the real thing...It's bigger than Y2K because it actually is TEOTWAWKI for an awful lot of ordinary people. It's coming to visit you too.

Answers

Pieter...I think that if I understand you right, that you will find
that we in the US have been having these problems for the past few
years. A company does really well with profits and decides it can do
better and "downsizes". Then two years later, their service, product
or whatever takes a hit and they wonder why. Most, or much of our
downsizing, is simply moving the manufacturing plants off shoreand/or
importing. The US RUNS on oil and BUYS China. We hardly make
anything anymore. Unlike Australia, which has always imported most
of their goods, the US used to manufacture its own and also for
export. That is no longer true. We too import everything and most
of the normal day to day objects that one buys at K-Mart, etc., is
made in China. WalMart and K-Mart would go belly up in two weeks if
the imports from mainland China were to stop. Its A very sad
situation. And its sad for Tassie as that State has few employement
opportunities, still being agriculture in nature. And when you only
have one good size town and one small city (Launceston and Hobart) it
doesn't make for good employement, especially when they are clear
across the State from one another. In addition, the people in Tassie
pay a lot more for their goods as it all crosses the Bass Strait to
get there.

Thanks Taz, you've nailed it well. Tasmania cannot afford to export
any more people without doing harm to the remaining agrarian based
show. Premier Bob Carr, New South Wales, went further this week by
stating he doesn't want any more migration to Sydney and urban areas.
Premier Peter Beattie, Queensland said the same thing. Unfortuntely
the rural scene is unable to absorb the migration as well. In South
Australia this morning's headline says the Premier is a non-performer
and the Treasurer is a fool. Yep. The times are getting
interesting.

By dissembling our manufacturing base at the urging of
global interests we are dissembling our communities also. In that
regard our debate matters and the American experience matters to us
in OZ. We're entering a period of upheaval placing pressure on water
and other infrastructures, lead by reactionary politicians without
vision.

Greetz Ron,Sorry about the spelling. My brothers and I have often
talk of taking our business to Tasmania, a place that is so
beautiful. Unfortunately critical mass is what's it all about. I had
a meeting with development officers yesterday afternoon for the Green
Triangle. Blue gum mono cropping is forcing people out of the
regional areas and it's a real infrastructure problem we've got
happening. No answers as yet, but we're talking. That's something.
Meanwhile SA has a leadership spill happening. You heard it first on
TB2K spin-off forum. Fancy that...